1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to communication networks and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for authenticating users of an emergency communication network.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a serious disaster, such as a hurricane, flood, earthquake, or terrorist attack, it may be essential for emergency personnel to have access to a telephone network so that the response to the disaster may be coordinated. At the same time, people affected by the disaster may swamp the network with telephone calls thereby making it difficult for the emergency personnel to obtain access to the network. To ensure that emergency personnel are able to receive priority access to available network resources, a separate access system has been developed, which is commonly referred to as the Government Emergency Telecommunications Service (GETS).
The GETS is an emergency communications service designed to be used when national security and emergency personnel are unable to complete emergency calls through the regular telecommunication system. GETS uses the infrastructure of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and wireless networks, but provides priority treatment and enhanced routing capabilities to increase the likelihood of a GETS call being able to be connected on the network. The GETS system is described in greater detail in Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) Request For Comments (RFC) 3689 and 4190, and IETF Internet Draft (ID) draft-ietf-tsvwg-mlpp-that-works-04, the content of each of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
The wireless version of the GETS is referred as the Nationwide Wireless Priority Service (WPS). WPS provides a user with the ability to be placed at the top of the queue so that the WPS user will be provided with the next available channel from their closest cell once a channel becomes available. This enables WPS users to have priority access to wireless channels so that their calls can go through during the emergency.
Access to the GETS/WPS system is controlled through a dialing plan and Personal Identification Number (PIN) system. The user dials a universal access number using common telephone equipment such as a land line telephone call or a wireless telephone. Once connected, the user will be prompted to enter a specific long PIN number (e.g. 12 to 32 digits) followed by the telephone number of the person that the GETS/WPS user would like to call. If the PIN is correct, the call may be placed on the emergency network. If not, the user will be denied access to the GETS.
Emergency situations may be very stressful, which may make it difficult for a user to correctly remember the long PIN required to access the network. Particularly where the user is not accustomed to remembering the long PIN, the increased stress associated with the emergency situation may make it difficult for the user to remember their long PIN. Accordingly, users may often write their long PIN on a piece of paper or card which may be referenced during the emergency to enable them to access the GETS. Unfortunately, the user may not have access to the card when it is necessary to make an emergency telephone call. Additionally, there are restrictions on the way in which the long PIN may be stored. For example, government security regulations may prohibit the long PIN from being pre-programmed into a mobile phone, since the long PIN may be considered to be classified information. Similarly, even if the phone is pre-programmed with the long PIN the user may not have access to their own phone during the emergency situation.
In addition to problems remembering and dialing a long string of digits under stressful emergency conditions, reading and dialing a long number may take a relatively long time. For example, dialing a long 12-32 digit PIN may take on the order of 20-30 seconds. While this amount of time may be insignificant under normal circumstances, it may be more important during a crisis. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide another way to authenticate users seeking to access an emergency communication network.